Date Night.(Stephen Pearmine) A new short story.

It had rained earlier that evening when a lady named Megan proceeded down the darkened street with only one street light. She avoided the many puddles that she could see because she was wearing high heels, and if she got her feet wet, it would be uncomfortable for the rest of the night. Megan was meeting a man for the first time who she'd met online from a dating site. She'd seen his main photo and various others of him while on holiday and going out with friends on his profile. He seemed genuine and was quite good-looking, so after three disappointing dates, she was looking forward to this one more. She lived about thirty minutes away from where she was meeting him, so it was a bit of a trek. The place they were going to meet was situated by a river with many parked boats, so scenically it was perfect. Some of her friends had been there since it opened and recommended it highly. It was her idea to go there, and he—Malcolm was his name—was more than happy with that.
At the end of the street, Megan turned left and carried on down. It was only five minutes away, and she was getting a little nervous at this point. She really wanted this to work out, as she hadn't had a boyfriend for some time.
Finally, Megan saw the restaurant dazzled in lights a short distance away on the right. She crossed the road looking both ways and made it to the other side in one piece. Along this stretch of road, there were more street lights, which helped her to avoid the puddles. Megan proceeded through the small car park to the place until she'd made it to the entrance. Her heart began to beat a little faster. My God, how nervous was she? She needed to compose herself before going in. After she'd calmed down a bit and checked her hair in her small mirror from her bag, Megan walked in. At the bar stood a few people. She already knew what he looked like, so she'd have to keep her eyes peeled. The nerves were back again, but she made her way to the bar reluctantly. Why did she feel like this? Megan would be the first to admit that she wasn't great at this sort of situation. With much-needed courage, she persevered. At the bar, Megan observed the people that waited to be served and noticed he wasn't there. But they'd made plans to meet at this time, unless he was running late.
"Where the hell are you?" she said quietly to herself. 
The other customers got served within five minutes, and then it was her turn. 
A man in his twenties, so younger than her, gave her a smile and asked, "What would you like?"
Well, she had to pick something as he might still turn up. So she ordered her usual beverage and had a sip. It tasted nice. Megan looked about her for the next few minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but still nothing. She was getting annoyed now; standing in a restaurant on her own in some ways made her look desperate. How come he hadn't shown? Was it a prank he'd played on her, and now he was standing outside the building laughing at her? Whatever the reason, Megan was getting sick of it now. After finishing her drink, she was going home. When she was ready, Megan put the glass down on the counter and said bye to the barman, then headed to the entrance disappointed. Outside, it had started raining again. Could this night get any worse? 
"For God's sake, I'm so..." she shouted out of frustration. "I can't believe he didn't turn up."
A hand touched her on the left shoulder, and Megan turned around, startled. A woman stood there with a concerned look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump," she said awkwardly.
Megan didn't know what to think at this moment, then asked surprised, "Do I know you?"
The woman looked embarrassed. "I'm so sorry; I should explain. My brother was supposed to have met you tonight, but earlier he was involved in a car accident after leaving work, and his mobile phone was damaged in the collision. That's why he couldn't message you. He's not badly hurt, thank God, but he got into contact with me at the hospital and asked me to come here to explain what had happened because he felt guilty about the whole thing. I hope you don't mind."
Megan was shocked. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry to hear that. Thank you for coming here and explaining. I hope he'll be okay."
"I think he'll be okay with what he said earlier, just a couple of bruises. His car, on the other hand, I'm not so sure. My name's Cheryl, by the way; it's nice to meet you."
Megan smiled. "Likewise."
Cheryl gave her an uncomfortable look, then said, "I know you don't know me at all, but after the day I've had, I'm dying for a drink. Would you like to join me? You don't have to, though; I'm not forcing you or anything."
Megan was out now, and she didn't have any other plans, so why not? And this poor lady came all the way down here to tell her the news. "Yeah, sure. Why not."
  "GreatUnless you want to go back in there, I know a really good place just down the road," Cheryl said.
"Yeah, let's head there. Sounds good," replied Megan.
Five minutes later, Cheryl stopped outside a bar that looked crowded inside. "Are you coming?" she said excitedly, taking Megan's hand.
Both laughed and made their way in.
.................
Three cocktails later, Megan started to feel a little tipsy while they sat near the bar. The place was packed, and it was a good atmosphere. Megan was happy she was here now. Also, she'd made a new friend who supposedly lived a few streets from her. She was surprised she'd never bumped into her before.
"Are you having a good time, Megan?" At least my brother hasn't spoilt things too much," Cheryl said laughing.
She peered up at her. "Yes, I'm having a great time. Thank you."
"Nice one. Girls have got to stick together, am I right?"
"Yes, definitely."
..................
That night both girls danced, chatted up some boys, drank some more cocktails, and then it was back on the dancefloor.
By 1am, Megan felt drunk and had trouble walking properly. Cheryl clearly seemed concerned for her, saying in her ear as they sat at their table. "I think we're both drunk. I know you don't know me that well, but I live closer to here than you do. Do you fancy sleeping on my sofa or in my spare bedroom just for tonight? I think it's the safer option for both our sakes. What do you say? Also, I think it's best if I call a taxi."
Megan didn't feel too good and answered, "Yes, that's fine. Thank you."
Cheryl helped Megan up, and they stumbled to the entrance, where a bouncer asked them if they were okay.
Megan heard Cheryl say to the man. "Yes, we're fine. She's more drunk than me; I'm going to call for a taxi. Thank you anyway."
"Where are we?" Megan said with difficulty.
Cheryl sat Megan down on a nearby bench, then faced her. "We're outside that bar, do you remember? Come on, let's go. I'll call for a taxi once we're away from this place."
At this point, Megan was getting even more confused—was it the alcohol causing this? From somewhere, she heard a phone ring and a woman's voice sounding stressed. 
A short time later she heard a man talking and now felt like she was being carried by two people instead of one. "Where are we going?" She was disoriented and scared. There was no answer. Who was this strange man that she didn't know, and where was he taking her? She tried to escape. Then she blanked out.
...............
She awoke and found herself in a darkened room. Her head ached terribly. All Megan recalled was a strange man dragging her somewhere when she was really drunk. What was he going to do to her? She'd never been so petrified. She cried out in sheer terror, "Help me, anyone."
Suddenly a door opened to the room, and a woman was seen walking to a window and opening the curtains. The sun's rays shone in. Megan looked up and saw Cheryl, the nice woman from last night, standing at the end of the bed. Beside her was a man. She then recognised him as the man she was supposed to meet last night. His arm was in a sling, and he had a black eye.
She had so many things going through her mind that she didn't know what to think. "What's going on?" she asked fearfully.
Cheryl was the first one to answer. "I feel terrible. It was me who got you this drunk. Do you remember a short distance from the bar when I was just about to ring the taxi? Well, my brother rang me instead, and it was his idea for us to stay around his because he lived a lot closer. I'm so sorry if everything seemed a bit scary for a little while. You were so drunk that I panicked. Thankfully, my idiot brother came to the rescue."
Megan now felt stupid. "Oh my God, I thought you were trying to kidnap me. I'm such an idiot." She was so embarrassed.
The man then said with a smile on his face. "Why would I try to kidnap you when I haven't even taken you out on a date yet? Seriously though, I feel terrible about last night. The hospital discharged me about 12.45am, and when I was in a taxi close to home, I gave my sister a ring, and she explained to me what had happened. And feeling like it was my fault, I felt compelled to help. I'm so sorry again about last night. Will you forgive me?"
Strangely enough, Megan could see the funny side now. "Yes, I forgive you. Can you forgive me for getting so drunk that I needed to kip around your house?"
"I think my sister has a lot to answer for that one. Can you forgive me enough to take you out on another date, even though technically it would be our first one?"
Megan smiled at him. "Of course I can; you're my knight in shining armour; how can I not say yes?"

The End.


  

 

 


  

 

---